Bruning joins the ranks of Mulligan Tour major champs
Bob Bruning cruised to victory in the 2008 Match Play Championship on Sunday at Willow Metropark GC besting rookie John Powell 7&6 in the final. Bruning, the #9 seed by virtue of being 13th on the Mulligan Tour world rankings, fought his way into the final four by beating Old Tom Litzler 3&2 in the first round and slipping past #1 ranked Kelly Arnold 2-up in the 2nd round. A Sunday morning semi-final match with Tom Moran ended 5&3 in Bruning’s favor setting up the showdown with Powell.
Bruning’s record in 3 Match Play Championships is now 7-2 after the 4-0 run to the title this year. Including his singles win in the 2007 Commissioner’s Cup, he is 8-2 overall in match play. He won the 3rd place match in the 2007 Match Play Championship after losing to eventual winner DeVonne Mowry in a semi-final.
Bruning’s first major win comes with a $60 first place check, leaping him to the top of the 2008 Money Standings with $148.50 in earnings. He won the Real McCoy Classic in June and has 6 top-4’s for the year. His next scheduled start will be at the Ugly Pants Open followed by a trip down to the Links at Lake Erie for a shot at the Caddyshack Classic.
Powell, the early favorite for Rookie of the Year, vanquished the defending champ, DeVonne Mowry, on Friday with a 7&6 score. He then turned away John Stepek 4&3 on Saturday to set up a semi-final match with the ’02 Match Play champ, David Martin. Another match won before the 16th hole, and Powell would never play the final 3 holes at Willow Metropark in competition. Still, all in all, a good showing for the young player from Livonia with a $40 payday that elevates him up to 6th on the money list ($93.25) and an excellent chance to qualify for the TOUR Championship.
